Safety device for blast-furnaces.



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l W. R. GLIFTDN. SAFETY DEVICE FOR BLAST FURNAGES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. II I PATENTED 00T. 1, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

DZZLOIQ W. R. CLIFTON. SAFETY DEVICE FOR BLAST PURNAGES. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 1 1907 .QMW

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l iscarried on at the bottom. At times the material will UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WARREN R. CLIFTON, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907 Application filed May 1,190?. Serial No. 371,324.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WARREN R. CLIFTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sharon, Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Blast-Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

The ordinary blast furnace is filled from the top at regular intervals with materials to be melted and reduced for the purpose of manufacturing pig iron. The reduction is effected by hot blast (air) which is forced into the bottom of the furnace, through twyers, by means of blowing engines. This melting and reducing process at the bottom of the furnace causes the materials to descend from the, top to the bottom down through the furnace so long as the process of reduction arch or scaffold (called hanging) in the furnace and allow the material to melt away from the bottom. This scaffold breaking away from the sides or middle (called slipping) causes a rush of gases up through the column of material which endangers the wrecking of the furnace and the loss of life to the workmen by the materials being thrown out at the top of the furnace. The first warning the workmen have of the scaffold material breaking away, or'slipping down (called slip) is when the gases and material are thrown out at the top of the furnace and scattering the material all over the surrounding country. lhis warning, of breaking away 'and slipping, is too late to allow the furnace man to check the force of the slip. The present method of checking the force of the slip is for the furnace man to order the blowing engines or air pumps slacked down, but this is not ordered done until the furnace man has seen the gases and materials pouring or flying out at the top of the furnace when it is too late as the damage has already been done.

The object of my p resent invention is to reduce or cut off the admission of blast, at the instant the slip occurs by automatic means.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

open branch B which in the normal operation of the furnace is closed by a valve B2. A branch pipe or passage C from the upper part of the furnace has an element therein" designed to be moved under excess of pressure in the furnace and through suitable connections operate the valve B2.

Preferably the passage has a cylindrical portion in which moves a piston C which when it is raised by the pressure produced by a violent explosion in the furnace, pulls up the connecting rod or rope C2 and thus instantly opens the valve B2 and reduces or cuts off the air blast to the furnace.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with a blast furnace, of a blast controlling device, and means for automatically operating said device upon the occurrence of an explosion in the furnace, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a blast furnace, of a blast controlling device, an element connected with the furnace and movable under the excessive pressure produced by :1n explosion within the furnace, and a connection between said movable element and the controlling device, substan tially as described.

3. The combinatlon with a blast furnace, blast heating stoves, and cold and hot blast pipes, of a passage leading from the cold blast pipe to the atmosphere, a valve in said pipe, and means actuated by excessive pressure in the furnace for opening said valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I ax my signature i'n presence of two witnesses.

WARREN R. CLIFTON.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. 01m, C. P. SPECHT. 

